Teacher's Pet

An insider's guide to education

• As the Marino affair resurfaced last week, the Christian Brothers hired PR firm Murray Consultants to put a more favourable spin on things. But even their formidable powers failed to dispel the impression that this is another fine mess.

In truth, the Brothers only have themselves to blame. The Farrell Grant Sparks (FGS) inquiry into the resignation of the former head of the teaching college, Caoimhe Mairtin, should have been published long ago. Instead, the brothers - some of whom were in the southern hemisphere during the winter - dragged their heels and delayed publication.

The manner in which the report was "released" would do justice to the old Soviet Union. A press statement told us that the authorities had been exonerated, but the hacks were not trusted with a copy of the report.

No explanation was forthcoming on several key points, not least why Mairtin herself was not interviewed. There was another small matter left unexplained - why the Brothers agreed to pay Mairtin €500,000 in the High Court last year after she claimed bullying, harassment and psychological abuse.

The college, under its smooth new director Pat Diggins, is trying to draw a line in the sand. But two resignations last week have hardly helped.

Minister for Education Mary Hanafin is not best pleased. She has one of her principal officers on the board of Marino since last summer, but, right now, her patience is close to snapping.

• It couldn't be true could it? Word reaches us that some ASTI diehards have been - shall we say - less than welcoming towards excellent new deputy general secretary Diarmuid de Paor. Shurely shome mishtake?

• Cracks appear to be developing in parts of the Department's school building programme. One part of the plan grandly called "Empowering Small and Rural Primary Schools" is to give the money directly to the schools and let them take responsibility from there.

The problem? Not enough money. One debt-ridden principal suggests it should be renamed the "Empowering Small Schools to get into Serious Debt" scheme.

• Interesting to see former Labour Court chairman, Finbarr Flood (right) is publishing his memoirs next week.

Flood made a huge impression during the ASTI dispute, when his integrity and professionalism were hugely admired. But will In Full Flood spill the beans on this key industrial relations episode?

E-mail us, in confidence, at teacherspet@irish-times.ie